Adjustable support for loading skips



May 7, 1929.

c. BALL ADJUSTABLE SUPPOR T FO R LOADING SKIPS Filed May 31,- 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet; l

mentor May 7, 1929.

C.F.BALL

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR LOADING SKIPS Filed May 31, 1927 2 Sheets-Slum? 2 Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 7

CHARLES s. BALL, or MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin. asslenon 'ro CHAIN BELT corr- .PANY, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION or WISCONSIN.

nnzrnsmnnn snrroncr non LOADING SKIPS.

Application filed May 31,

or caused to occupy a position different from" that normally occupied when the skip is in use, and to provide means whereby the moving of the support from one position to another may be controlled from the power shaft from which the movements of the skip are controlled.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment of my invention as applied to a street paver isillustrated,- I

Fig.1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention. I I

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line III III of Fig. 2, and i I Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line IV-JV of Fig. 2. i

Referring to these drawings, 2 designates the mixing drum supported in well known or preferred manner in the framework of a road-paving machine. The 'detailparts of such apparatus are not illustrated, as Fig. 1 in many respects is diagrammatic, and it is to he understood that such drawing is merely sufficient to illustrate one embodiment ofmy invention, and is typical, my invention being occupy the posltlonsindicated 1n full llnes 1n adapted for use in connection with other machines than those intended for mixing concrete;

"3 indicates a loading skip of well'known construction, pivotally supported so as to occupy either the lowered position indicated in full lines for receiving its load, or an elevated position. indicated by dotted lines, for discharging into the mixing drum.

4; indicates the skip-lifting cables, and 5 the drums on which the cables are'wound. These drums are secured. to a shaft 6, at one end of which is a bull wheel 7 on which is wound a cable that extends to a power-driven winding drum 9 which,so far as the present invention: is concerned, may be considered the primary power element of the skip-movingand-controlling mechanism; 1 i The cross shaft 6 is supported in a pair of .need no further description.

1927. Serial No. 195,301.

pivoted uprights 10 formed at their lower ends into foot pieces 11 adaptedto rest upon suitable seats formed therefor on the main framework of the machine, the uprights .10 i

being pivotally connected to such framework at 12. The upright supports are normally held in inclined positions, with their feet pieces securely resting upon the seats, by brace pieces 21, which have pivotal connectionsat 22 with the framework of the apparahis. The shaft 6 extends through a sleeve or tube 13 supported in the bearings at the upper ends *of the pivoted pieces 10, being supported so as to be freeto turn. in suitable bearings 23 located within the sleeve or tube.

At the end of the sleeve 13 toward the bull wheel, there is a bracket 15. carrying a. seat or housing 16 for a slide bolt 14,the end of which, when the bolt is moved outwardly, is.

adapted to enter a socket 17 formed in the hub of the adjacent drum 5, and thus lock the said drum and the shaft to which it is secured against rotation, since the seat for the slide bolt is a part of the framework of the ma chine.- The bolt 14 is provided with a projecting pin sufliciently long to serve as a handle by which the bolt is manipulated, and which .itis arranged to move in the slot 18 and to hold the bolt in either its retracted or its projected'position. V I

Under :normal conditions of use the parts and lowered by driving the shaft 6, through the power cable 8 and bull wheel 7, and rotating the drums either to wind thecables thereupon to" raise the skip or paying out such cables when the skip is to be lowered. These movements are well known in the art and Itir'equcntly happens that it is desirable to letdown or fold the skip-supporting parts in order to reduce the height of the apparatus.

To accomplish this without disconnectingany of the cables that have been described, and

- at the sametime permitting the movements 14 ismoved outwardly and caused to enter the r of the parts, which are quite heavy, to be con trolled from the winding drum 9 for the power cable, the novel features of my invention are; brought into operation. When the skip-supporting partsare to be lowered from the position indicated in full lines F 1g. 1 to that represented by dotted lines, the slide bolt socket 17 in theyhub of one-of the winding drumsf5. When this has been effected the wheel 7 is locked against rotation. If, now,

mean'sfof the power cable 8, thusentijrely eliminating the heavy manual labor that has heretoforebeen required to effect either the low- V ering or raising offthe pivoted skip support. I have shown'one means forlock ngor preventing the rotation of the shaft 6 such means beingfthe'one'which I found most expedient to employ, but my invention, is not limited to 1 the specific arrangement of parts shown, all

thatisnecessa-ry for; accomplishing the ads vantageousfeatures of my invention being the locking of the wheel 7 with which the power cable-engages from free rotation; And when this has been accomplished the support for' sulch cable will be lowered whenever the cable/8 is let off from its winding drum 9, or raised to normal working position when wound thereon. r V

It will be understood't-hat the cables 4 and the drums 5, on" which they are wound are elements of. power drivenmechanism for controlling the up and down movements of a pieceof apparatus to be moved, such as the skip 3; and that the cable 8' and the drum 9 onwhichit is wound constitute elements of power driven gearing or-mechanism that o erate the gearing just-referred to for direct y moving the part 3; and while in the drawings thereis illustrated a specific-form ofsuch mechanism especially devised for use in controlling the movements of a lOadlIlgSklP for concrete mixing mach nes, 1t is to be understood tl at the invention is not restricted to details'ofconstruction nor beyond the limitations imposed by the claimshjereof.

What} I claim is: j '1'-. The eombinatiomwith a loadingskip, a cable foroperating itpawinding drum for -the cable, a pivoted support for the cable drum, and mean sjfor turning the drum to wind'u'por let. 01f the-skip cable, including a power-driven cable of releasable means for holding the pivotedfsupport in normalworkring position and "means for preventing the Q'turning 'of the skip cable drum, while: perand drums which it carries, including a mitting the power cable to be operated, whereby the pivoted support is moved, upon being released from its holding means, as the power cable is wound up or let out.

2. The combination, with a loading skip, a cable for operating it, a winding drum for the cable, a pivoted frame for the cable drum, and means for turning the drum to wind up or letotf the skip cable, includin a powerdriven cable; of releasable means For holding the pivoted frame in normal working position and means for locking the skip cable drum to a non-rotating art of the ivoted frame, whereby, upon re easing of tlie supportin frame from its holding means, operation o the power cable causes movement of the supporting frame about its pivot.

3. The combination of a loading skip, cables for operating it, winding drums for the skip cables, a pivoted frame for the cable drums whose normal position is inclined, whereby if unsupported it moves downward about its pivot, bracing means for holding the supporting frame in normal inclined position, such bracing means'bcing disconnectable to relieve the pivoted frame of the support afforded thereby means for turning the drums to wind up or let off the skip-moving cables, including a power-driven cable and its winding drum, and means for preventing the turning of the drums on which are wound the skipmoving cables while permitting the power cable and its drum to operate, whereby when the said bracing means are disconnected and the power cable is let off its drum the pivoted frame moves downwardly under the control of the power cable and when the cable is wound upon its drum the frame is raised.

4. The combination of a loading skip, cables for operating it, a pivoted supporting frame that normally occupies an inclined position, comprising a'pair of supports, a shaft vmounted in said supports so as to turn, drums on which the skip-moving cables are wound mounted on said shaft, separable bracing means for holding the supporting frame in inclined position, means for turning the shaft wer cable, a power-driven drum on whic one end of the power'cable is wound, and a wheel supported on the said shaft on which the other endof such cable is wound and a slide bolt uniting one of the skip cable drums with a part of the pivoted frame whereby rotation of the skip cable drums and their supporting shaft is prevented and the supporting frame is raised orv lowered by operation of the power cable, upon its being released from the holding action of the said bracing means.

- 5. The combination with a piece of mechanism to be raised and lowered, power driven gearing by which such movements are imparted, including a rotatable element, a train of power driven gearing through which the said rotatable element is turned, a support for the said rotatable element movable when free from a normal working position to a folded or abnormal position, such movements being controlled by the power driven 1neehanism that operates the rotatable element and Without disturbing the connection between the rotatable element and the piece of mecha nism to be moved, manually operated means for locking the rotatable element against rotation in its support and means by which the support may be positively held in its normal position or released for free movement at will.

CHARLES F. BALL. 

